Gender Diversity Toolkit - Intellectual Property Owners Association

Chapter 1. Section 1: Executive Level Awareness and SupportExecutive engagement is critical and essential for success. This sectionof the toolkit provides information on who to initially involve, what tosay, and what to ask for to drive executive-level support at thebeginning of this initiative.Who to Involve:All organizations are different so determine what works best for yourorganization. Some possibilities to consider include: Chief Diversityand Inclusion Officer, Sustainability Officer, Chief IP Counsel, ChiefTechnical Officer, Technical Directors, Lab Managers, HR professionals,and Business Executives. In many instances, no more than 5 people(aside from you) may be best to facilitate an open dialogue on theissue. If possible, include at least one person who can drive a culturalchange within your organization, either through position or personality(preferably both).What to SayYou know your team best, so use your bestjudgment. Some materials to consider includethose linked in the box on the right.Organizations vary, so make these pitches yourown. Please send any suggestions formodifications or testimonials of what workedfor your organization. Additionally, referencethe curated articles/publications list at the endof this section to help you generate yourdiscussion outline and presentation materials.13What to SaySample Materials:Elevator SpeechSample 1:1 PitchMaterials

The first question from many executives is: do we have an issue here atthis organization, and what are the statistics for this company/university? One way to answer that question is to obtain the WIPOgender diversity data (or other similar data) for your organization. TheWIPO gender diversity data provides the total number of PCTapplications filed and the % of these PCT applications with at least 1female inventor in the previous year. If you are an IPO member, youcan get this information by emailing Hannah Denny at IPO.Another way to answer this question is to run the publicly availableWIPO algorithm9 that assigns a gender to a name and run thatalgorithm on your organization’s data to determine the genderbreakdown of inventors.Consider whether your organization should additionally or alternativelygather gender disparity data specific to them. To be clear, this is not arequired step, as macroscopic data is available for most organizationsusing the methods identified above. However, some companies do notbelieve the PTO or WIPO data unless they gather it themselves.Gathering this data for a large, global organization can be both timeconsuming and challenging (given varying HR rules globally). Manyorganizations do not routinely track gender of inventors in docketingdatabases. For companies/universities who choose to gather their owndata, some best practices that have met with successes include thefollowing:9Please see WIPO algorithm in footnote 4 of Working Paper No. 33.14

- Run the publicly available gender-name association algorithms onyour organization’s data.- Contact your HR department. Many HR organizations have anemployee database in which employees designate their preferredgender. If you provide HR with a list of employees, they can oftengenerate a report summarizing high-level information for use inyour diversity in innovation assessment.- Assign or hire someone in your organization to go through theinventor data for your organization in a given timeframe andidentify each inventor’s gender (based on knowledge, internetsearching, etc.).Other potential information to consider include- How many inventors (assess both male and female) are repeatinventors?- What is the correlation between patent filing and product launch forpatents including women versus patents not including women?Data has shown that patents including women are, overall, morecommercially successful.- What is the correlation between patents and associated productsales for patents including women inventors and for patents notincluding women inventors? Data has shown that patents includingwomen are, overall, more commercially successful.15

Self-Assess Your Organization for Gender Parity in InnovationThe following self-assessment can be useful in assessing yourorganization and turning that assessment into meaningful discussionsof needs and next steps.For companies in the “pre-aware” and “aware” categories, their time isbest spent initially focusing their efforts on increasing awareness beforemoving to the next steps.For companies in the “align” category, their time is best spent assessingroot causes and using those assessments to direct programs to theseroot causes.For companies in the “integrate” and “sustain” categories, their time isbest spent on developing metrics, identifying new or additionalprograms, celebrating successes, and confirming that no new rootcauses are arising in the organization (i.e., returning to Step 1).16

What is the “Ask”?Carefully consider your “ask.” Many organizations spend the firstportion of their executive meeting creating awareness and walkingthrough the 4 steps of the toolkit at a high level. The second half ofthe meeting is often spent getting support for a specific request(s).Most organizations ask executives for one of the following two options:1. A request for (1) support for increasing awareness (and a plan todo so); and (2) support for investigating root causes (and a plan todo so).2. A request to (1) identify and devote resources to assess thegender diversity statistics for the organization and (2) once thisinformation is obtained, reporting out to the executives andrecommending next steps.17

Chapter 1. Section 2: Diverse and Female Employee Awareness &SupportAwareness and engagement of employees throughout the organizationare both necessary for success. This section recommends ways toinitially engage employees at all levels of the organization.Increasing awareness of the gender disparity issue at various levels inthe organization can be effective, even if these groups have overlappingmembership. Increasing awareness takes more than a singlepresentation. Further, awareness presentations should not be limitedsolely to diverse groups, as success will require awareness andengagement by non-diverse advocates, mentors, and coaches. Wehave found that women and men alike are unaware of the disparity.Some exemplary groups to bring awareness to include: Affinity Groups e.g. Women’s Leadership, African AmericansNetwork, Hispanic Networks, Latin AmericansNetworks, Pride Networks, Asian AmericansNetworks, etc. Consider also soliciting information on root causesfor disparity with these groups, as is described ingreater detail in Chapter 2. Leaders/Managers Update leaders and managers and brainstorm bestpractices for how to increase and support diversityin innovation in each organization. Thepresentations can be tailored to each individualgroup within the larger organization, increasing thechance of overall success.18

Laboratory Groups and/or Technology/R&D Meetings e.g. Address the issue during routinemanagement/lab team meetings (such as monthlyor quarterly meetings). This can be a great time to identify non-diverse orfemale employees who are passionate about thisissue and can be mentors, advocates, or coaches. Small development groups of female or diverseemployees: e.g. Lean In CirclesA sample presentation for use at such events to create initial awarenessis attached here.19

Chapter 1. Section 3: Ongoing Organization-Wide AwarenessAs your organization continues the journey toward gender parity ininnovation, it’s crucial to routinely update the organization on theefforts and celebrate successes. Providing routine updates at somefrequency not only creates positive buzz around these efforts andbehaviors but also keeps this topic in the forefront for leaders andemployees throughout the organization.Some quick-hit ways to continue and build organization-wideawareness include the following:o Organization-Wide or Group-Wide Spotlights These remind people that there are women and diverseinventors and help women and diverse employees selfidentify with others. Sample ideas: all organization or group emails, posts oninternal websites, presentations, etc. that focus on theresearch, patents, milestones, personal stories, licensingwins, patent litigation wins, etc. of individuals. Samples available here and here and here and here.o Social Events and/or Celebrations for Diverse or FemaleInventors These events provide networking opportunities andawareness of the work being done.o Social Medial Spotlights Highlight women and diverse inventor achievements,such as patent or trademark filings or personal stories ofachievement.20

Chapter 1. Section 4: Curated List of Articles on the Topic of GenderParity in Innovation WIPO Economic Research Working Paper No. 33 Institute for Women's Policy Research: Gender Patenting Gap Stanford University: Gender Analysis of Invention Disclosures Institute for Women's Policy Research: Equity in Innovation - WomenInventors and Patents PTO Progress & Potential Report McKinsey & Company: Why Diversity Matters Josh Bersin: Why Diversity and Inclusion Has Become a Business Priority Harvard Business Review: How Diversity Can Drive Innovation Science Magazine: How Scientists are Fighting Against Gender Bias inConference Speaker Lineups IPWatchdog on USPTO Report: Only Four Percent of Patents NameWomen-Only Inventors Over the Last Decade NYSBA Journal: Accelerating Talent MIT White Paper: Who Becomes an Inventor in America Association of University Technology Managers: Gender in the GlobalResearch Landscape New York Times: Picture a Leader: Is She a Woman?21

Chemical & Engineering News: Coming Out in Chem Class AUTM: Women Inventor’s Toolkit Yale University: Why Do Women Inventors Win Fewer Patents? USPTO Inventor Info Chat22

Chapter 2 (Step 2)Root Cause AssessmentThe goal of this step is to identify the key root causes in yourorganization that contribute to or result in gender disparity ininnovation.Chapter Outline:Section 1: 4 Key Steps to Root Cause AssessmentSection 2: Collecting and Interpreting the Data1. Mix-and-Match Data Sourcesa. Surveysb. Small Group Feedback/Discussionc. 1:1 Conversations2. Ways to Obtain Dataa. The 5 Why Methodb. Fishbone or Ishikawa Methodc. The Pareto Method3. Who to Ask23

Chapter 2. Section 1: Root Cause AssessmentOften, after identifying that a problem exists, we immediately seek toresolve the problem. For example, if you break your arm, painmedicine will remove the pain (the symptom), but the root cause (thebroken bone) must be addressed before you can properly heal. Withcomplex problems, like lack of gender parity in patenting, the long-termresults are far superior when adequate time is first spent identifyingroot causes for the disparity. Initially identifying the root causes allowsan organization to tailor efforts to specifically address the root causesfor the disparity, thus enabling faster correction and higher levels ofsuccess. By eliminating the root causes of the problem, organizationscan take measures to eliminate or reduce the recurrence of theproblem. The research required to identify the root causes is hardwork. But it is essential for long-term success, especially inorganizations that are focused on continued improvement.At the highest level, root cause analysis involves 4 basic steps:1.2.3.4.Define the problemCollect data relating to the problemInterpret the data to determine what is causing the problemPrioritize the root causesFor purposes of this toolkit, we assume the premise is a lack of diversityin innovation/patenting, as shown from current studies and data. Someideas for ways to collect data are as follows.24

Chapter 2. Section 2: Collecting and Interpreting DataThe most reliable data is gathered by using a variety of collectionmethods. Specifically, it is preferable to collect data from each of thefollowing (1) large groups; (2) small groups; and (3) individuals. Largegroups provide high-level data and facilitate inclusion of many differentviewpoints. Smaller groups provide access to more nuanced data andgive access to examples that illuminate the larger points derived fromthe large groups.Data Obtained from Large Groups:Collection of data from large groups is typically best accomplishedthrough a survey(s). Optimal surveys are short and high-level. Theypermit organizations to get a pulse on the issue/problem. Samplesurveys are available here and here. These specific surveys were sentto all technical employees and legal staff in large organizations. In suchorganizations, it is imperative to keep the number of questions to aminimum because the longer the survey, the less likely that people willtake the time to respond. Another best practice is to provide anopportunity for survey respondents to write in any specific commentsand/or to provide small group or individual discussion(s) or feedback onthe topic. Providing an opportunity for small group or individualfeedback can be a great way to incentivize passionate people to getinvolved and further the discussion and collection of data in smallgroups or 1:1.Small Group Discussion and 1:1 Discussion(s):Small group and 1:1 discussion(s) typically provide the richest and mostnuanced data, as well as the personal stories that bring the high-leveldata to life. There are 5 popular methods or tools to use whenobtaining this data. Feel free to mix-and-match these:25

A.5 Why MethodAt the most basic, 5 Why Method involves asking “why” 5 times(or more) in order to get to the true root cause. A useful graphic thatshows how this practice can help get to the “true” root cause is below:Image source - s/The 5 Why Method can be especially effective in brainstorming or 1:1sessions. The 5 Why Method can be combined with traditionalbrainstorming (where small groups discuss all possible causes for theproblem and possible solutions) or with brain-writing (which focuses onindividuals writing their thoughts instead of vocalizing them). Brainwriting can be an excellent way to get the thoughts and opinions of lessvocal participants. Once root causes are captured, they can becategorized.26

B.Fishbone or Ishikawa MethodInvented by Dr. Ishikawa, the Ishikawa Method involves thefollowing steps:1. Define the problem2. Brainstorm with the team on possible root causes of theproblem3. Use the relevant M’s while doing so:a. Man (People) – individuals performing the process orinvolved in itb. Machine (Equipment) – tools used within the processc. Method (Process) – procedures followedd. Materials – inputs to the processe. Measures– data on inputf. Mother Nature (Environment) – the environment4. Prioritize all of the causes under the relevant M’s27

A sample graphical depiction of the output of this method is as follows:\Image source - am/Once the root cause brainstorm ideas are prioritized, the major rootcauses are highlighted. Brainstorming for solutions of the major causesis the next step.28

With specific reference to the issues of gender disparity in innovation,many of

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